Schema version

Many times I saw on forums that people ask, how to check current schema version. They want to know if they need to extend it before adding new server OS as Domain Controller. I decided to write this short post about that (yes, I know that in the Internet is many other sites with this topic 🙂 but I wanted to show this my way)

Let’s start. We have few possibilities to check that

GUI console (ADSI Editor)

Microsoft DS Tools (dsquery command)

3rd party tools (i.e. adfind from Joe Ware)

I will show you how you can check schema version using all of mentioned options

ADSI Editor

On Windows Server 2003 to be able to run this console (adsiedit.msc) you need to install first Windows Server 2003 Support Tools from the first server installation CD. You can find them in a location of your CD/DVD-ROM drive in SupportTools directory, install suptools.msi file.

Whereas on Windows Server 2008 you need to add “Active Directory Domain Services Tools” from Control Panel -> RSAT -> Role Administration Tools (on a DC these tools are available by default, when you pormote server as Domain Controller, they are installed automatically)

When you have done adding necessary tools to your system, you can start ADSI Editor. To do that in run box type adsiedit.msc and press enter

Running ADSI Editor

You should see ADSI Edit, now. To check schema version, select “Schema” well know Naming Context in left pane, expand it and select schema container

Selecting schema Naming Context

Click on it right mouse button and choose “Properties“. In “Attribute Editor” search for objectVersion attibute and check its value. That value is current schema version.

This is very poweful tool which can be used for other Active Direcrory/LDAP queries, not only for schema version. I learnt using the tool on Experts-Exchange forum from Mike (mkline71) who really knows how to use that :]

When you downloaded ADFIND open command-line and go to folder where it is saved and run this syntax

adfind -sc schver

and that’s all, review its output. You will see everything what you want to know about schema version